Battery transport trailer and combination using same

Abstract

The invention relates to a battery transport trailer (1) for coupling to a towing vehicle (2), which battery transport trailer comprises a chassis (3) for carrying a battery block (4) and running wheels (12) which are attached to the chassis (3). The chassis (3) has a coupling for coupling to a towing vehicle (2), which coupling is rotationally fixed at least in the yaw direction. Each running wheel (12) is connected to the chassis (3) via at least one trailing axle (14).

Description

[0001] BATTERY TRANSPORT TRAILER AND THE TRAILER USING IT

[0002] Description

[0003] The present invention relates to a battery transport trailer and a combination in which such a battery transport trailer is combined with a towing vehicle. Such a trailer and such a combination are known from DE 10 2020 207 506 A1.

[0004] A battery transport trailer with a powerful battery pack on board is a simple and effective way to significantly increase the range of an electric towing vehicle. In particular, the battery pack can not only supply the power required for the towing vehicle's current ferry operation, but can also charge the towing vehicle's built-in battery while driving, so it only needs to be carried on a journey for as long as necessary to recharge the built-in battery.

[0005] Many drivers have never driven a vehicle with a trailer before. The trailer's length must be taken into account when overtaking, increasing the risk of accidents for drivers who are unfamiliar with it. The trailer also makes reversing more difficult, which also deters many inexperienced drivers from using one.

[0006] The aim of the present invention is to provide a battery transport trailer or a combination with a battery transport trailer that can expect better acceptance from users.

[0007] In order to achieve the object, according to one aspect of the invention, a battery transport trailer for a towing vehicle is proposed, comprising a chassis for carrying a battery block and wheels fastened to the chassis, in which the chassis has a coupling which is non-rotatable at least in the yaw direction for coupling to a towing vehicle and each wheel is connected to the chassis via at least one trailing axle.

[0008] The coupling prevents the trailer from pivoting relative to the towing vehicle, resulting in the trailer's behavior during maneuvering similar to a piece of cargo projecting rearward from a vehicle's cargo space. Therefore, the driver only needs to consider an extension of the vehicle's rear end when reversing, but does not have to worry about the trailer being pushed by the towing vehicle swerving in a different direction than the towing vehicle itself. Furthermore, because the pivoting motion is prevented, the distance between the towing vehicle and the trailer can be significantly reduced, making the trailer combination according to the invention significantly shorter than one with a yaw-adjustable trailer.

[0009] The trailing axle prevents the wheels from skidding when cornering by allowing the wheels to yaw relative to the chassis.

[0010] In order to achieve a rotationally fixed connection to the towing vehicle in the yaw direction, the trailer coupling can comprise at least two, preferably three, receptacles, each for a ball head fixed to the towing vehicle. Both the ball head and the receptacles for it are commercially available and inexpensive components that have been tried and tested for a long time. While two receptacles - which, in order to be able to transmit a high yaw torque, should preferably be arranged on either side of a longitudinal center plane of the trailer - are sufficient in themselves to prevent the yaw movement of the trailer relative to the towing vehicle, a third receptacle is useful in order to use a trailer coupling that is conventionally present on many vehicles and to be able to transfer additional tongue load to the towing vehicle via this.

[0011] The receptacle can also be of a conventional design, with jaws that can be clamped to the ball head and a lever for adjusting the jaws between a clamping position and a position that releases the ball head. However, while in a conventional yaw-action trailer coupling the lever is attached to a drawbar extending from the receptacle rearwardly toward the trailer, according to the invention it is preferably offset transversely next to the receptacle to minimize the distance between the towing vehicle and the trailer.

[0012] A support wheel known per se can be provided with an electric drive to facilitate maneuvering of the trailer when uncoupled.

[0013] The battery block can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the chassis between a driving position and a rest position.

[0014] In particular, the distance between the battery pack and the towing vehicle should be greater in the rest position than in the driving position. This minimizes the load on the support wheel in the rest position, making it easier for the support wheel to overcome uneven ground. However, when coupled, it is advisable to increase the support load transferred to the vehicle by moving the battery pack forward to improve the power transmission between the towing vehicle and the road.

[0015] In the resting position, the battery pack should be sufficiently far from the towing vehicle to ensure it does not interfere with the opening of the towing vehicle's tailgate. This distance depends on the type and dimensions of the tailgate. For example, to allow the movement of a double-leaf rear door on a small van, the distance should be at least half the width of the battery pack.

[0016] A floor plate that is exposed in front of the battery block when in the rest position can make it easier for the user to access the loading area of ​​the towing vehicle without having to uncouple the trailer.

[0017] To make it easier to climb onto the floor plate, a step can be provided on the chassis.

[0018] Preferably, the base plate is hinged to the battery pack and can be pivoted into an upright position when transitioning to the driving position. This eliminates the need to slide the battery pack over the base plate in the driving position, and the center of gravity of the battery pack can be kept low. To protect the battery pack in the event of a collision, the battery pack can have a rear bumper, and the battery pack is arranged in front of the bumper, at least in the driving position. To keep the length of the trailer short when driving, it is preferred that the battery pack protrudes rearward beyond the bumper in the rest position.

[0019] In order to supply the towing vehicle and charge its battery while driving, a charging cable should be provided that is electrically connected to the battery block and that it is long enough to be connected to a charging socket on the towing vehicle when coupled to the towing vehicle.

[0020] To prevent the charging cable from swinging while driving, it can be fitted with adhesive elements for temporarily attaching it to the body of the towing vehicle. These adhesive elements can be magnets or, preferably, suction cups.

[0021] The trailer can be equipped with a cable drum from which the charging cable can be unwound.

[0022] According to a further aspect of the invention, the object is achieved by a combination comprising a towing vehicle and a battery transport trailer as described above.

[0023] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. They show:

[0024] Fig. 1 is a view of the trailer at the rear of a towing vehicle in the driving position;

[0025] Fig. 2 is a view of the trailer and the rear of the towing vehicle in the rest position;

[0026] Fig. 3 shows a view of the coupling between the towing vehicle and the trailer; and Fig. 4 shows the trailer from the front in the driving position.

[0027] Fig. 1 shows a battery transport trailer 1 according to the invention, coupled to the rear of a small van as the towing vehicle 2. A chassis 3 of the trailer 1 is largely concealed beneath a battery block 4 resting thereon. The battery block 4 contains at least one, typically several, rechargeable batteries. Here, it is in the form of a box that can be opened to load and unload batteries. The batteries in the battery block 4 are conductively connected to a charging cable 5, which, when not in use, is wound onto a cable drum 6 attached to the battery block. In the configuration of Fig. 1, the charging cable 5 is unwound from the cable drum 6 far enough that a charging plug 8 at the end of the charging cable 5 contacts a charging socket 7 of the towing vehicle 2. In this position, the batteries of the battery block 4 can both supply the towing vehicle 2 with drive energy and charge an on-board battery of the towing vehicle 2.The towing vehicle 2 can therefore cover distances that exceed the range of its on-board battery without any significant interruption by coupling the battery transport trailer 1 shortly before the range is exhausted and taking it along until the on-board battery is recharged.

[0028] To prevent the charging cable 5 from striking the side of the towing vehicle 2 during charging while driving, it is secured at several points on the side between the charging socket and the cable drum 6 by means of adhesive elements 9. The adhesive elements 9 can, in particular, be suction cups. To ensure that they do not hinder the winding of the cable onto the cable drum 6, they can be detachable from the charging cable 5 or, preferably, can be movable along the charging cable 5, e.g., by the charging cable 5 extending through eyelets of the adhesive elements 9. Thus, when not in use, these can be moved along the cable to the charging plug 8.

[0029] The chassis 3 carries a bumper 10 which projects laterally and rearwardly over the battery block 4 in the rear area of ​​the trailer 1 in order to protect the latter in the event of a collision. As further protection, the battery block can be shielded to the rear and sides by a frame 11 whose profiles extend along the edges of the battery block 4 and form a grid on the rear side of which is not visible in Fig. 1. One of two running wheels 12 of the trailer 1 and a support wheel 13 can be seen below the chassis 3. An axis of rotation of the running wheel 12 is designed as a trailing axle 14, i.e. it is connected to the chassis via a control arm 15 which, in turn, is connected to the chassis 3 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis 16. The two axes 14, 16 do not intersect, so that the steering arm 15 assumes the orientation shown in Fig. 1 when traveling straight ahead, in which the rotational axis 14 follows the vertical axis 16. The steering arm 15 is pivotable by springs.

[0030] The support wheel 13 is vertically adjustable in a manner known per se, so that when the trailer 1 is supported on the towing vehicle 2, it can be lifted from the ground for travel.

[0031] In the driving position of Fig. 1, the center of gravity of the battery block 4 is in front of the wheels 12, so that part of its weight loads the rear axle of the towing vehicle 2 via several trailer couplings 17.

[0032] The battery block 4 is adjustable on the chassis 3 between the driving position shown in Fig. 1 and a rest position shown in Fig. 2. In the rest position, the battery block 4 is shifted rearward so that its rear side and a large part of the frame 11 moving with the battery block 4 protrude rearward beyond the bumper 10. A base plate 18, shown in Fig. 1 and clearly visible in Fig. 4 in a folded-up position on a front side of the battery block 4, is folded down into a position resting horizontally on a front part of the chassis 3.

[0033] A bracket extends downwards from the chassis 3 to form a step 19 intended to facilitate a user's climbing onto the floor plate 18. When the user stands on the floor plate 18, they can easily reach the lock of a (not shown) double-leaf tailgate of the towing vehicle 2 in order to open it and swing the leaves sideways, typically by approximately 270°, into a position resting against the sides of the towing vehicle 2. This allows free access to the loading space of the towing vehicle 2 without having to uncouple the trailer 1 or interrupt an ongoing loading process.

[0034] A further battery can be accommodated in the chassis 3 of the trailer in an area which is covered by the battery block 4 in the driving position and by the base plate 18 in the rest position, so that it is accessible from above when the base plate 18 is folded up in the rest position.

[0035] Fig. 3 shows a detailed view of the connection between the towing vehicle 2 and the trailer 1. On the towing vehicle 2 side, the connection comprises a cross member 20 that extends essentially across the entire width of the towing vehicle. Three ball joints 21 are attached to the cross member 20. One of these is attached in the center of the cross member 20 in a conventional manner; this can be used not only for the trailer 1, but also for a conventional trailer coupled to the towing vehicle 2 in a yaw-movable manner. The other two ball joints 21 are located at the ends of the cross member 20.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 3, the cross member 20 can be composed of a center piece 27, which is a component present as standard on the towing vehicle 2 and is provided as a support for the centrally arranged ball head 21 of a conventional trailer coupling, and two attachment parts 28, each carrying a ball head 21 and extending the center piece 27 to the side in order to maximize the distance between the ball heads.

[0037] The three ball heads 21 correspond to three receptacles 22 of the three trailer couplings 17 on the trailer 1. These receptacles 22 are of a known design with a downwardly open shell that can be slipped over a ball head 21. A tensioning lever 24 is attached to a rod 23 that connects the receptacle 22 to the chassis 3, with which clamping lever 24 the clamping jaws of a stabilizer can be clamped in the receptacle 22 on the ball head 21. Each of these receptacles 22 could also be used individually on a yaw-movable trailer, in which case the rod 23 extends rearward from the receptacle 22 during operation and is subject to tensile load. Unlike usual with such a trailer, the rods 23 here each extend from the receptacle 22 in a lateral direction to projections 25 on the chassis 3. In the position shown in Fig.2 and 3, the base plate 18 extends beyond the projections 25, and the tensioning levers 24 are accessible to a person who is on the base plate 18 through cutouts in the base plate 18.

[0038] The mounts 22 are arranged along a straight line running in the transverse direction of the vehicle, thus allowing a pitching movement of the trailer 1 relative to the towing vehicle 2. Yaw and roll movements are not possible. Road surface irregularities transverse to the direction of travel, which would cause the trailer to roll with a conventional trailer coupling using a single ball head, are compensated for by a pitching movement of the control arms 15. When the towing vehicle 2 negotiates a curve, the battery transport trailer 1 swings to the side, with the alignment of the control arms 15 and trailing axles 14 automatically adjusting as a result of the driving movement.Since the length of the trailer 1 is short, the swiveling out only increases the safety distance required to the side of the towing vehicle 2 insignificantly, so that the towing vehicle 2 with the battery transport trailer 1 can hardly be maneuvered any differently than without, and driving with the trailer 1 therefore does not pose any difficulties even for an inexperienced driver.

[0039] Fig. 4 shows the battery transport trailer 1 uncoupled from the towing vehicle 2. When uncoupled, the battery pack 4 should be in the driving position as shown to ensure that, even when the running wheels 12 are pivoted forward under the chassis 3, the center of gravity of the trailer 1 lies above a polygon formed by the ground contact points of the running wheels and support wheels 12, 13, and that the trailer 1 cannot spontaneously tip over.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 4, two support wheels 13 may be provided at the front corners of the chassis 3 or a single support wheel in the middle of its front edge.

[0041] When the battery pack 4 is in the driving position, each support wheel 13 bears a significant portion of the weight of the battery pack 4. This makes it difficult to move the support wheel 13 over a raised ground surface when the trailer must be moved manually. To make the trailer 1 easier to handle when uncoupled, each support wheel 13 is associated with an electric motor 26 that can be controlled to drive or assist a user-desired movement of the trailer 1. Reference numerals

[0042] 1 battery transport trailer

[0043] 2 towing vehicle

[0044] 3 chassis

[0045] 4 battery block

[0046] 5 charging cables

[0047] 6 cable drums

[0048] 7 Charging socket

[0049] 8 charging plugs

[0050] 9 Adhesive element

[0051] 10 bumper

[0052] 11 frame

[0053] 12 Wheel

[0054] 13 Support wheel

[0055] 14 Trailing axle

[0056] 15 handlebars

[0057] 16 vertical axis

[0058] 17 Trailer hitch

[0059] 18 Base plate

[0060] 19 Step

[0061] 20 cross members

[0062] 21 ball head

[0063] 22 recording

[0064] 23 bars

[0065] 24 clamping levers

[0066] 25 lead

[0067] 26 electric motor

[0068] 27 Middle section

[0069] 28 Attachment

Claims

Claims 1. Battery transport trailer (1) for a towing vehicle with a chassis (3) for carrying a battery block (4) and running wheels (12) attached to the chassis (3), characterized in that the chassis (3) has a coupling that is at least rotationally fixed in the yaw direction for coupling to a towing vehicle (2) and each running wheel (12) is connected to the chassis (3) via at least one trailing axle (14).

2. Battery transport trailer according to claim 1, wherein the trailer coupling comprises at least two, preferably three, receptacles (22) for each of a ball head (21) fixed to the towing vehicle (2).

3. Battery transport trailer according to claim 2, wherein each receptacle (22) comprises a stabilizer with jaws that can be clamped to the ball head (21) and a lever (25) for adjusting the jaws between a clamping position and a position releasing the ball head (21) is provided laterally offset next to the receptacle (22).

4. Battery transport trailer according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one electrically driven support wheel (13).

5. Battery transport trailer according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the battery block (4) is adjustable in the longitudinal direction along the chassis (3) between a driving position and a rest position.

6. Battery transport trailer according to claim 5, wherein in the rest position the distance of the battery block (4) from the towing vehicle (2) is greater than in the driving position.

7. Battery transport trailer according to claim 5 or 6, wherein in the rest position the distance of the battery block (4) from the towing vehicle (2) is sufficient to allow the opening of a tailgate of the towing vehicle (2).

8. Battery transport trailer according to claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein in the rest position a base plate (18) is exposed in front of the battery block (4). A battery transport trailer according to claim 8, wherein a step (19) is provided on the chassis (3) to facilitate access to the floor plate (18). A battery transport trailer according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the floor plate (18) is hinged to the battery block (4) and can be pivoted into an upright position when transitioning to the driving position. A battery transport trailer according to any one of claims 5 to 10, with a rear bumper (10), wherein the battery block (4) is arranged in front of the bumper (10) in the driving position and optionally projects beyond the bumper (10) to the rear in the rest position. A battery transport trailer according to any one of the preceding claims, with a charging cable (5) electrically connected to the battery block (4), which, when coupled to a towing vehicle (2), can be connected to a charging socket (7) of the towing vehicle (2).A battery transport trailer according to claim 12, wherein the charging cable (5) is equipped with adhesive elements (9) for temporary attachment to the body of the towing vehicle (2). A battery transport trailer according to claim 12 or 13, comprising a cable drum (6) from which the charging cable (5) can be unwound. A vehicle combination comprising a towing vehicle (2) and a battery transport trailer (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

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